Electric lamplighter



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Patented July 10, 1894.

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J. C. CHAMBERS. ELECTRIC LAMPLIGHTBR.

No. 522.727. Y Patented July 10, 1894.

UNITED j STATES i PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPHUS C. CHAMBERS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

ELEC-rule` `LAM PL'le HTER.

SIECIFICATLON forming part of Letters Patent No. 522,727, dated July 10,1 894. Application filed February 10, 1894. Serial No.499,818. (Nomodel.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPHUs C. CHAMBERS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Lamplighters;and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object an improved electric lamp lighter, thesame being especially adapted and designed for use as a cigar lighter,and it consists of the construction, combination and arrangement ofdevices and appliances hereinafter specified and claimed andillustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view infront elevation and More particularly my invention is intended f as animprovement upon a similar device to that embodied in a pendingapplication made byEberhard and Schimkatt, Serial No. 489,422,

filed September 25, 1893.

I carry out my invention as follows:

A represents a supporting bracket provided at its base with a box orcase A inclosing a battery as indicated at B.

C is a supporting arm projecting forward from the bracket A, or anyother supporting device to which the lighter is desired to be attached.From the outer end of the arm C, project hanger arms D and D', thehanger arms having a pivotal engagement at the outer extremity of thearm C, in any suitable manner. Thus, for example, an insulating block cmay intervene between the upper ends of the hanger arms D and D and theouter end of the arm C, to which block the arms D and D are pivotallyconnected as shown at d. Back of the arms D and D', I prefer to locate astop E to limit the rear-ward movement of the hanger arms D and D.A

Electrical conductors F and F' lead from the battery B or other sourceof electrical supply, preferably through an induction coil, indicated indotted lines atG, and are preferably electrically connected with thearms D and D', as indicated in Fig. 1.

H is a lamp hanger preferably consisting of a cross bar H' with whichthe hanger arms D and D' are connected. This cross-bar H is preferablymade of porcelain, hard rubber, or analogous insulating material. One ofthe `hanger arms, as the arm D, preferably terminates at the base of thecross bar H', while the other hanger arm, as the hanger arm D', projectsdownward beneath the cross bar H to aid in supportinga lamp J, having aswinging engagement therewith. An additional arm D2 is engaged at itsupper end with the cross bar H', to aid in supporting the lamp, when thearm D is terminated as above mentioned.

K is an extinguisher plate located between the upper end of the arm D2and the cross bar H'.

` The lamp J is preferably constructed of two members, an elongatedmember j, and a curved member j', capable of receiving a wick and asuitable burning fluid, as gasoline, alcohol, &c. The member j of thelamp is pivotally supported intermediate its extremities between thelower ends of the arms D and D2. I prefer that the lamp itself should beinsu lated from the hanger arms, and to this end it is pivotallysupported upon an intermediate collar h as shown at h'; insulatingmaterial being engaged about thelamp member, interiorly to the collar,as shown at h2. Engaged upon the collar h is preferably provided ametallic or electrical conducting strip L, leading upward adjacent tothe upper end of the lamp, where it is again` engaged with an additionalcollar hB about the lamp member j. This strip Lforms one terminal of theelectrical current, in any suitable manner. Thus the electrical circuitmay be made through one of the conductorsFand F with the hanger arm D',through the collar 7L and the strip L The other conduct-or leading fromthe battery or other source of electrical supply, is connected with theother hanger arm, as with the arm D, the armD IOO at its lower end beingelectrically connected with a wire M projecting outward from the crossbar I-I, and supporting at its outer eX- tremity a spring Contact wireN, the lower end of the spring contact wire N,projecting adjacent to theupper end of the strip L. This con tact wire as shown in Fig. 4 is woundin a coil m near its center and slipped on the arm fn, of the wireorpost M. As above stated, one end of the wire projects downwardly intothe path of movement of the contact strip L, while the other end extendstoward the hanger I-I and is bent to form a loop o embracing the shankof the post M.

The operation of the device will now be understood. When the upper endof the lamp is thrown forward, relative to the hanger H,

the upperend of the strip L forms electrical contact with the springwire N, establishing an electrical circuit therethrough. As the lamp andthe hanger are further separated, the one from the other, the electricalcircuit is broken, adjacent to the exposed end of the lamp wick, causinga spark and igniting the lamp. When the operator is through using thelamp, it will automatically drop back into normal position, shown inFig. 2, the upper end of the lamp resting against the extinguisher K,putting out the light, in which position the electrical circuit isbroken, so that no current is running to waste when the lamp is unused,the circuit onlybeing complete for an 'instant previous to igniting thelamp.

The hanger being supported on the swinging arms D and D', it will beobvious that the operator, when he wishes to ignite the lamp,

may simply grasp the lamp with one hand and raise it, whereby its upperend is thrown forward relative to the hanger. The electrical contact isestablished and instantly broken, causing a spark and igniting the lamp.The lamp is noty only self-retracting into normal position, but is alsoself extinguishing.

It will be obvious that in seizing the lamp to raise it into positionfor lighting a cigar, the arms D and D' will swing from their pivotalconnection at their upper ends with the arm C. In dropping the lamp, thearms D and D', together with the hanger H, and the lamp, will drop backinto normal position, but the stop E will effectually prevent the lampfrom striking against the bracket A or other analogous wall or support.Thus as shown in Fig. 3, instead of the bracket A, the arm C extendsforward from one of the customary panels A2 of a car. It will be seenthat were the arms D and D not prevented by the stop E from striking thepanel, the panel would become seriously marred, but my improvementeffectually prevents any such liability. Herein is seen a specialadvantage of supporting the hanger H upon the metallic arms or bars D,D', instead of having the hanger H supported upon a flexible cord orelectrical conductor. The arm C is preferably made hollow to admit theconductors F, F. From the point of their pivotal connection with the armC, to their lower extremities, the arms D D are rigid.

In case the hanger arms, hanger and lamp are suspended in a car, theelectrical conductors F F' may lead to the battery, or other suitablesource of electrical supply located at any desired point. When sosuspended in a car, the case inclosing the battery might be- I do notlimit myself to making the arms D D' apart of the electrical circuit,as, evidently the conductors F F' might be continued to the terminals Land N, directly, if desired. It will be seen that` where the arm D2 isemployed, it is not in the electrical circuit. Shouldthe electricalcircuit be connected with said terminals outside the arms D D', the armD might extend downward the same length as the arm D', the arm D2 beingin such a case, dispensed with.

To shield the wire M and to prevent its getting heated by the llame andthereby injuring the block H', I locate between the lamp and said wire,apiece of mica or other suitable material, shown at Q.

The device is obviously simple in construction and of superior utility.

What I claim as my invention isl. In a lamp lighter, in combination witha rigid supporting arm as C, a frame work including hanger arms andpivoted to said rigid supporting arm, a swinging lamp supported by saidhanger arms and means for making and breaking electrical connection asthe lamp is swung out of its normal position, substantially asdescribed.

2. In alamp lighter, a rigid support, a frame work pivoted to saidsupport, a swinging lamp pivoted to said frame work, a contact devicecarried by the frame work, and a contact device carried by the lamp,whereby in the movement of the lamp contact is made and broken,substantially as described.

3. In a lamp lighter, a rigid support hanger arms D D', pivotallysupported thereby, a hanger H, a contact device supported upon saidhanger and electrically connected with one of said arms, an additionalarm D2 connected with the hanger, a lamp having a jointed connectionwith the lower extremityV of the arms D' D2, anda contact strip L, saidstrip in electrical connection with one of the hanger arms, and saidcontact device in electrical connection with the other of said hangerarms, substantially as set forth.

4. In a lamp lighter, the combination of a IOO supporting arm C, hangerarms D D having a jointed connection with said supporting arm, a stop tolimitthe swinging of said hanger arms in one direction, a swinging lampsupported by said hanger arms, and means to make and break theelectrical connection adjacent to the upper end of the lamp, when thelamp is swung out of its normal position, substantially as set forth.

5. In a lamp` lighter, arigid support, rigid swinging hanger arms D, D',supported thereby a hanger II supported thereby, a conducting postsecured to said hanger and in electrical connection with one of saidhanger arms, a spring contact device carried by said post, a swinginglamp supported by said hangers, and carrying` a contact device adaptedto engage the contact device on said post during the swinging of thelamp substaniially as described.

6. In a lamp lighter, the combination of the swinging hanger arms, aswinging lamp supported thereby, an insulated cross piece locatedbetween the hanger arms above the lamp, an electrical conductor havingits terminal supported in said cross piece, a shield Q beneath saidterminal, and an electrical 'conductor having its terminal adjacent tothe upper end of the lamp, substantially as set forth.

7. In a lamp lighter, in combination with the cross bar, the swinginglamp carrying a contact device, a conducting post M secured to the crossbar, and a. spring contact device `N loosely pivoted on said conductingpost and normally in the path of movement of the contact device on thelamp, substantially as described.

8. In an electric lamp lighter the pivoted framework comprising thehanger arms D,D, the collar h, the lamp pivoted thereto and insulatedtherefrom, the contact strip L secured at one end to the collar h, thecollar h3 surrounding the lamp and to which the strip L, is secured nearits upper end, a cross-bar H', secured to said hanger arms and a contactdevice carried by said cross-bar, adapted to engage the strip L, in themovement of the lamp; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOSEPHUS` C. CHAMBERS.

Witnesses:

N. S. WRIGHT, Or'ro B. BARNZIGER.

